ABSTRACT
This paper sheds light on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on society and the surrounding environment, with a special focus on education and the social aspect. Specifically, how the pandemic has disrupted education systems across the globe by forcing the closure of primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities is discussed. Since it is not only the students who were affected by this worldwide health emergency, the impact on educators and parents, as well as all aspects of the education system, including admissions, assessments and evaluations, is also debated. These facets are discussed while emphasizing the shifts that many organizations underwent to maintain operations while adhering to the announced governmental restrictions related to the circulation of the pandemic. Specifically, the needs to rapidly implement significant modifications to their usual practices and standard operational processes and convert their existing teaching materials to another format to make them appropriate for online delivery are highlighted and discussed. © 2022 The Author(s).
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Pregnancy involves dynamic changes in the maternal immune system, thus potentially affecting women's response to infection. The aim of this study was to investigate whether gestational age at the time of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is associated with mortality and morbidity related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in hospitalized pregnant women. METHODS: This was a cohort study of pregnant women with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection at any gestational age (categorized into trimesters) who were hospitalized in Brazil from February 2020 to November 2021. Sociodemographic and epidemiological characteristics, signs and symptoms, comorbidities, interventions, vaccination status and type of healthcare establishment were obtained from a nationwide database. Multivariate logistic and Cox regression analyses were used to identify independent risk factors for in-hospital COVID-19-related mortality and morbidity (defined as time from hospital admission to recovery). RESULTS: A total of 7461 SARS-CoV-2-infected pregnant women were included in the study (9.3%, 28.4% and 62.3% in the first, second and third trimesters, respectively). After adjustment for sociodemographic, epidemiological and clinical characteristics, and intervention-related variables, gestational age at infection was found not to be associated with COVID-19-related mortality and morbidity. Women admitted to establishments with an obstetric center, compared to hospitals without, were 38% less likely to die from SARS-CoV-2 infection (adjusted odds ratio, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.48-0.80), while patients who received private not-for-profit healthcare had a 13% shorter time to recovery (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.07-1.20) compared to those who received public healthcare. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a higher percentage of women being admitted in the third trimester, we found no association between gestational age and COVID-19 mortality and morbidity. The previously reported increase in morbidity and mortality in the third trimester in pregnant women with COVID-19 may be attributable to other gestational-age-affected variables for which adjustment was made in our study. © 2022 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.